The Hunter's Journey
by theCaravaneer
Summary: Eragon is a rookie Monster Hunter with the small but tough Spine Guild. When the Varden caravan stops over, he is invited to join its quirky crew and leave Carvahall. Yet the Varden is embroiled far deeper in the fate of the land than he knows, and Eragon might just come to realise that fighting off packs of hungry Jaggi every winter will be the very least of his worries.
1. Chapter 1: Winter Attack

_December 30th, 7985_

 _Here's my first entry for my Guild Journal._ _My uncle_... _The Guildmaster says I have to write in it as often as I can, so that I can submit entries that show progress of my work for him to review. It's inconvenient, but_ _Guildmaster Garrow says I'll make a habit out of it. Guess I'd better start on that habit now._

 _I'm not sure how to start off this blasted journal. I_ think _I'll just write a little bit about myself. My name is Eragon, son of None, nephew to the Guildmaster of the Spine Guild, Garrow Cadocsson. His son is my cousin, the Hunter Roran. I'm a Hunter too, but I'm just a rookie. Hopefully not for long._

 _I officially joined the Guild this morning. I've learnt how to hunt before, but the Guild bars underage hunters from joining. I turned sixteen this year, so I'm eligible. But I'm still the youngest Guild Hunter now. Roran is two, nearly three years older than I am. And folks in Carvahall prefer farming and trading to hunting, so we don't get a lot of recruits._

 _I haven't been assigned any quests yet, but I think I'll be getting one soon. We living so near the Spine are always having problems with the monsters lurking in those mountains. Just two days ago a little group of Melynx pilfered several bottles of Antidote from the market, and it was more trouble than it was worth trying to catch them._

 _My candle is burning low. I should probably get some sleep soon._

 _Eragon_

 _-_ From the Guild Journal of Eragon, son of None

* * *

"OI ERAGON!"

Even before the roosters were due to crow and wake him up for his first day as a Guild Hunter, a certain cousin of his was doing a great job imitating those blasted birds.

"Eragon, get up, now!" Roran sounded extremely impatient, and he shook Eragon's shoulder, hidden under a thick layer of blankets. The lad groaned, only to burrow even deeper into his bed.

"Cousin, I'm serious. Carvahall is being attacked by a pack of Jaggi."

"What?" Eragon shot up from his bed, his hair still dishevelled from his meagre four hours of sleep.

"It's their winter horde. They've been sighted along the southernwestern border."

Eragon quickly stood up and went over to his equipment box, buckling on the set of _Hunter's Armour_ Garrow had given him, the standard issue of the Spine Guild. Roran was already arrayed in his _Alloy Armour_ with his heavy _War Mace_ strapped across his back. Being the more muscular of the two, he was a proficient user of Hammer weapons and wielded them to regularly knockout monsters.

"How many Jaggi are there?" Eragon asked, shoving his helm onto his head. He looked around for his weapon.

"Hale says there are about fifty of them. Byrd has killed a number of them already, but the Jaggi have spread out, and with this many of them, he's worried that their pack leader isn't far behind."

Eragon found his weapon lying on the floor near the wall, and removed the cloth wrapping it, revealing a dull black scabbard, but with an unordinarily ornate hilt. His cousin stared quizzically at it, but Eragon ignored him, strapping his long sword to his back, then ran out of his room with Roran's heavy footsteps pounding behind him. The early morning hallways of the Guildhall were silent, save for a faint commotion from downstairs. Garrow had been long awake, issuing orders to the few Hunters who had managed to come from around Carvahall. The Guildmaster turned to look at the staircase as Eragon and Roran came rushing down to the common room.

"Eragon, you're finally awake!" he huffed. "You are to go with Sloan and Wyglif."

"Wha- _Sloan_?!" He accidentally burst out.

"Yes. They're the only party that still has a vacancy. Do you have a problem with that?" his uncle said in his commanding Guildmaster tone.

"But why can't I go with you?"

"Because I already have Roran, Delwin and Bardrick with me. You'll be safe with them. Don't worry."

"I'm not -" Eragon bit his tongue. "Fine."

Sloan noticed none of this exchange between uncle and nephew, and cuffed him behind his head. "Where've you been, boy?" he barked. "Let's hurry. Wyglif!"

Thus Eragon found himself running behind Sloan and Wyglif in light snow within just five minutes of getting out of bed, inwardly cursing his bad fortune and the blasted pack of Jaggi. He had wanted to get assigned a quest, sure, but not like this, when his head was still muddled from his lack of sleep, having to tag along with Sloan the Butcher! What a terrible start to his Hunter career. The party moved briskly through snowy streets lined with tall, sturdy houses of wood, their inhabitants still asleep. It would be two more hours until dawn, and the Hunters would try to exterminate all the Jaggi before Carvahall awoke.

It wasn't long before they came across the first of those monsters. They were small group of four, and as Eragon had imagined, they were bipedal and lizard-like, orange for the most part save for their frill, back-stripe and foreclaws, which were purple. They were crashing through the windows of a meats store and plundering its wares. Wyglif nocked his _Hunter's Stoutbow_ , firing several arrows into the side of one Jaggi. Blood sprayed from its wound, and with a shrill cry, it fell over. Its three companions immediately turned away from their food, barking and jumping towards them. Eragon was nearly bit in the shoulder by one of them, and he deftly sidestepped its attack.

"You want to fight?" Sloan roared, swinging his giant _Lacerator Blade_ and knocking all three of them backwards at the same time. Wyglif easily finished them off with several well-aimed shots to their heads. Eragon had his hand on his blade's hilt, but it seemed that the two veteran hunters didn't really need his help, much to his disappointment.

Sloan smirked, sheathing his weapon on his back, then stooped down to carve off a few hides from the Jaggi corpses, which he rolled up and stored in his item pouch. Wyglif broke off several of their fangs, for crafting into ammunition. "Ever fought Jaggi before, boy?" Sloan asked.

"Aye. I have."

"Hmm. Didn't expect that. But if you have, you'd know they're just blasted annoying to deal with in groups. Like wolves, only yappier. So don't get surrounded by them."

"Aye, I know that."

"Good. You better know it," Sloan growled. "A rookie like you might just charge in recklessly and get bit."

That wounded his pride, but Eragon didn't try to argue. "Aye."

"Let's go find more Jaggi, then."

They did find another group, but it was larger, with six Jaggi jumping about in the town square and making claw-shaped footprints in the snow. Several townspeople were running away from them. Eragon eagerly unsheathed his long sword, running towards one Jaggi that had broken off from its pack. In surprise, the monster began barking at him, and Eragon took the opportunity to evade its biting jaws and take it down with several quick slices. Sloan took out two Jaggi at the same time with a wide horizontal slash, before making an evasive roll and cleaving through another. Wyglif was acting from afar and shot several arrows into the sides of the last three, and they fell with arrows through their throats. The once white snow was now stained red with Jaggi blood.

Sloan was staring at Eragon's long sword as he sheathed it, with nearly the same gaze as Roran when he stared at the strange weapon earlier that morning. Eragon caught him looking, and sighed. "What is it?"

"That's a unique long sword you have there, boy," Sloan said, narrowing his eyes. "Where did you get it?"

"My father used to own it," Eragon said, shrugging his shoulders. "My mother passed it to uncle, I mean Guildmaster Garrow. And he passed it to me."

"How come I've never seen you use it before?"

"I only received it yesterday. When I joined the Guild."

Sloan snorted. "Your father used to own it. Of course."

Eragon bristled. "What do you mean by that, Sloan?"

" _Your_ father owned it? Boy, I'm no armourer, but I'd recognize that long sword anywhere: that's a Wyvern Blade. And from its look, its probably _Wyvern Blade 'Bloom'_. "

"And what does that have to do with my father?"

"How could any father of yours own a weapon like that?" Sloan chortled, but Eragon scowled, clenching his fists to his side. He would've fought him, even if Sloan had ten years of combat experience to top him, but Garrow had sternly warned him not to pick any fights with the Butcher before they had left to hunt Jaggi. "I know that glint in your eye, Eragon," the Guildmaster had told him, staring hard at him. So he did nothing, and damn Sloan for his insults.

"Let's continue on," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. He was still smiling broadly as they walked around Carvahall, searching for more Jaggi. Eragon was glaring at his back. Wyglif fell back next to him, nervously twirling an arrow in his hands. The gunner was older than Eragon but younger than Sloan, and he'd been with the Guild for four years already. They walked together in silence as Sloan continued to make a few more unsavoury comments about Eragon's bastardy.

"Just ignore him," Wyglif whispered, catching the arrow in his left hand. "He bullies everyone."

Eragon said nothing, preferring to look at the ground and sulk.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, it's not your fault that he's bullying you."

"Then whose fault is it?"

Wyglif smiled. "Roran's."

" _Roran's_?!" Eragon said, turning to look at the gunner.

"Aye. Don't you know? Your cousin is courting Sloan's daughter, Katrina."

"K-Katrina?" He knew the older girl was good friends with his cousin, but he didn't know how much closer they had become. Maybe that was why he saw her so often in the Guildhall.

"Aye. I'm surprised you don't know, considering how close you are to Roran. Maybe he wanted to surprise you, hehe. But anyway, Sloan is extremely protective of his daughter. He doesn't even let her join the Guild, even though she's old enough and an excellent Hunter. I've hunted with her and Roran a few times in the Spine, and -" He suddenly stopped, nocking the arrow he was playing with and shooting it at a familiar orange and purple theropod. "Jaggi at nine o'clock!"

Eragon and Sloan turned to look, and another six Jaggi were running through the streets, barking and overturning an empty cart as they searched for food. An old woman slammed open her door, which to their amusement, nearly hit a Jaggi nearby. "What's all the commotion about?" she yelled. The Jaggi she had nearly hit snapped at her, and she screamed as she fell backwards to dodge it. Eragon ran up to the dog wyvern and sliced off its head, which went bouncing down the streets.

"Are you alright?" Eragon asked, helping the old woman up. She dusted off her nightdress and glared up at him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! I didn't ask for your help, you know! Young people these days- " she went back inside her house, slamming the door behind her. Eragon stared at the wood in confusion.

"OI! Don't just stand there boy, help kill these blasted Jaggis!" Sloan roared, slashing his _Lacerator Blade_ at the far nimbler monsters. Three of them had crowded around him, biting at his armour as he made another wide slash at them, knocking them all backwards at the same time. Eragon ran up to him and helped to kill two of them, slashing at their exposed stomachs while Sloan hefted his great sword and cleaved through the third one.

"I could handle that on my own," he growled. Eragon shrugged, dashing towards two Jaggi who were running away from their party, but Wyglif shot them before they could escape. That made their total number of kills sixteen.

As Eragon piled the carved Jaggi corpses to the side of the road, he spotted Hale running up to them from the corner of his eye. The watchman ran up to him since he was the nearest. "The Guildmaster told me to find your party and check on how you've been doing."

Eragon wringed the Jaggi blood off his hands, then turned to speak to him. "We've killed sixteen Jaggi already."

Hale beamed. "That's good. Did you see any signs of a Great Jaggi?"

"No, not at all." Sloan and Wyglif came running up to the two of them.

"What's going on here?" Sloan asked gruffly.

"Ah, nothing much, Sloan. I'm just enquiring how your party's been faring."

"We're fine. When can we end this thrice-blasted quest? I swear it's nearly as cold as the Frozen Seaway out here," he complained.

"The Guildmaster's party has killed six-and-twenty Jaggi, and Byrd and I have killed six ourselves, so that makes eight-and-forty. That's probably most of the Jaggi. Guildmaster just says to make one circuit of Carvahall to make sure all the Jaggi have been killed."

"Bah, tell Garrow we'll do it."

Hale nodded and ran off. Sloan stomped off through the snow, muttering curses to himself. Wyglif looked at Eragon, shrugged, and the two of them went to follow behind him.

* * *

"Don't know why we have to do quests like this every winter, gah. Why can't the damn Guild just employ some knights?" Sloan grumbled.

"Guildmaster doesn't really have the funding," Wyglif said. "We're a really small Guild. There's only, what, eleven of us, plus the Guildmaster?"

"Aye, aye, I know, I've been here for ten years already," he replied. He still didn't look placated.

They'd gone halfway through the town, criss-crossing through its streets on a thorough search for any remaining Jaggi. Carvahall was starting to awaken, with the roosters crowing and the market starting to open for business. Eragon stopped to buy a steak while Sloan wasn't looking, gnawing on it as they walked. People were moving about on the streets, and carts were trundling in from Therinsford, carrying their last stocks of corn for sale.

They also happened to bump into Garrow's party while in the town square, and Eragon was quick to ask his cousin how the fighting had been.

"Not very bad - they're only Jaggi, after all - but luckily we haven't seen a Great Jaggi anywhere," he said. "It's very strange, but I'm not complaining, those things are a pain to deal with. What of you?"

"Quite easy on our side too. I killed -" then Eragon scowled. "I think I only killed three or four of them. Wyglif and Sloan killed a lot of them before I could."

"I'm not surprised. Wyglif is an excellent archer. And Sloan, well, you know how he is," Roran smiled. "Don't worry, Eragon. Uncle's probably going to assign you a proper quest tomorrow."

"Well, I hope so. And by the way, what's this I hear about you courting Katrina?"

"I- hey look Guildmaster's going to make an announcement!"

"Alright, this quest is officially over. Back to the Guild!" his uncle boomed, and Roran dutifully ran ahead. Eragon only grinned and shook his head.

Apparently, Garrow's party had already covered most of the areas his party hadn't, and since there weren't any further sighting of Jaggi, they could safely deem their quest complete. The Guildmaster paid Wyglif, Sloan, and the two on his own party, Delwin, Bardrick, for their help on the quest, and the four left with their pockets much less empty. Eragon and Roran didn't receive anything since they were living off Garrow's cut of the Guild's funds anyway.

His uncle clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Well, Eragon, good job on your first mission as a Guild Hunter. I'm quite sorry I couldn't give you your inaugural solo quest on your first day, but you understand this was a lot more urgent, don't you?"

"Yea, I'm fine with it, Uncle Garrow." He looked up at his uncle and gave him a forced smile. Garrow didn't seem to notice, and smiled back at him.

"Excellent. But I think I should give this to you, anyway. A little reward to make up for it." He dropped a leather bag into Eragon's hands, and it clinked with the metallic sound of coins as it fell.

"Uncle, really?"

"Of course. Now go and spend that money on something - but not steak, please. Roran tells me you ate another one while on your quest," his uncle told him, raising an eyebrow at him. "It would be better if you spent those crowns on Hunting gear. Upgrade yourself."

"Alright, Uncle, alright," Eragon said, and he exited the Guildhall, grinning.

* * *

 ** _A/N: This wasn't the most eventful chapter, but hopefully we'll get to more exciting things soon!_**

 ** _I've been a long fan of the Inheritance Cycle but I'm pretty new to Monster Hunter, so please bear with my noobness for a while._**

 ** _All equipment/item names are in italics, so if you want to find out what they look like, just google them or search them up in the Monster Hunter database Kiranico._**

 ** _Thanks for reading, and make sure to leave a comment below! :)_**


	2. Chapter 2: A Twist and a Tumble

_[Chapter 21: The Guilds]_

 _The Spine Guild_

 _Established in the year 7915 AC, the Spine Guild is Alagaesia's fourth and youngest Guild. It serves the isolated townships of Carvahall, Therinsford, Yazuac, and Ceunon, and is based in the second largest of these towns, Carvahall. After the sudden appearance of an Apex Selregios, the Illirean Guild, which previously served those four townships, sent four of its best Hunters to secure the area and set up a stronghold to protect the Spine people from further attacks._

 _The commander of those Hunters was known as Raulyn, and he became the first Guildmaster of the Spine Guild. He and his three companions trained locals, who were mostly farmers or traders, to become Hunters. To their surprise, the people of the Spine were extremely hardy, toughened by the cold winds and rocky soil of their home. They were not easily knocked down, and their stamina was higher than their own people, those of the Steppes._

 _Eventually in 7926 AC, the first party of Spine-born people was unveiled. Chief of these was one woman named Ava, and she as second Guildmaster oversaw the installation of the Guild's first Dragonator. After several successful quests by its Hunters, the Guild's name spread far and wide throughout the land. Wanting to improve their skills, many Hunters from other Guilds took up quests from the Spine Guild, and ventured into the dangerous mountains of the Spine._

 _However, after several incidents where entire parties of foreign Guild Hunters were mysteriously wiped out, further expeditions into the Spine were banned, and only Spine Guild Hunters were permitted into the mountains' deeper areas._

 _Since then, the river of Hunters that had been streaming into the Spine slowed to a trickle. Even locals became fearful of the Spine, and the number of recruits dwindled. Only those people who remembered the times when the Spine townships were plagued with monsters dared to risk their lives by joining the Guild._

 _The current and fifth Guildmaster of the Spine Guild is Garrow Cadocsson, who famously slew a Stygian Zinogre._

\- From the Hunter's Notes

* * *

Eragon did take Garrow's advice and spent a large part of his reward money on purchasing new equipment from the local smith. Horst had taken advantage of the recent Jaggi attack to craft a new set of _Jaggi Armour_ , using materials from yesterday's invasion and from last winter's Great Jaggi attack. It was rather expensive, considering the bit of money Eragon had on hand, but Horst was kind to him and lowered the price, seeing that he had been good friends with Garrow and his family for a long time.

"Think of it as a present from me for becoming an official Hunter!" he had told Eragon.

This morning he had switched into his new armour, discarding his old _Hunter's Armour_ for the scaly purple armour, fitting the cap snugly onto his head. With his father's Wyvern Blade strapped behind his back, he headed downstairs, coming into a nearly empty common room. There was only Ansel, the Guild's Questatrix, sitting at the Quest Counter and scribbling into her logbook. Garrow was strangely missing. Eragon had expected him to be here to assign him his first proper quest as a Monster Hunter.

She still hadn't noticed Eragon until he had walked right up to the counter and spoke. "Uh, Ansel?"

"Wh-Wha?!" The Questatrix fell off her seat in shock, bumping loudly onto the floor. Her pen rolled beside her.

"Are you alright?" Eragon asked, looking over the counter. Ansel was picking herself (and the pen) up, and she returned to her seat, doing her best to look prim and proper. She frowned at his merry expression.

"Stop that. I know you're going to laugh," she warned. "Hey! Look, if you don't stop, I'm not giving you the quest the Guildmaster left me."

"Wait, what?" Eragon didn't feel so merry anymore.

"Aye, he left me the quest. So," Ansel said, looking quite smug. "Are you ready to hear it?"

"Fine, fine. It's not my fault you're so clumsy," he muttered.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that because I'm that nice. Anyway, here it is: ' _G. Jaggi Investigation'_ , it's called. Location _:_ ' _N. Spine'_. Client: ' _Garrow Cadocsson_ ' _._ Client's message: ' _While it was good fortune for us, I find it curious that the leader of yesterday's Jaggi pack did not appear. Make a trip to their den, and find out if anything happened to the Great Jaggi. It could be a sign of worse things to come._ ' And that's all," said Ansel. "Will you accept this quest?"

"Of course!"

"Good, or I'd think you're a coward," she replied, writing his name in her logbook. "I'll send the Guild Palicoes to set up camp. Now shoo. The sight of you annoys me."

* * *

Eragon went to purchase some extra supplies for himself, filling his item pouch with _Potions_ and _Whetstones_ , then exited Carvahall through its northern gate. To his surprise, he found Roran just beyond the gate, and he hurried over to his cousin's side. The hammer-wielder was happy to see him too. "Eragon! Off on your first quest, I think?"

"Aye. Uncle sent me to investigate the Jaggis' den. Where are you going?"

"The Jaggis' den! Pretty dangerous for a lone rookie...but then again, Father did send me to slay the Great Jaggi on my first quest too," Roran said, and he sounded much older. "I'm not sure where his interest in Jaggi comes from. And I'm bound for Ceunon. I have a quest in the western Forest."

"What're you supposed to do?"

"Eh, kill two Nerscylla. But I'm planning to carve them, and get rid of this old _Alloy Armour_. Anyway, I need to rush off - Ceunon is rather far off - good luck on your quest! And nice armour, Eragon!"

With that, the two cousins separated, and Eragon continued northwards while Roran diverged east. The Guild base camp was at the entrance to the northern part of the spine, where Hunters could prepare before venturing out - or, in worse cases, escape back to if the quest got a little out of hand for them. There was a blue supply box stocked with some basic supply items for Hunters to use if they were too miserly to buy their own, and a red delivery box for those quests where Hunters had to deliver certain items for quest clients.

Eragon didn't really need any of the supply items, but he took them anyway, just to be safe. He had never been to the Jaggis' den so he might as well go prepared. Helpfully, there was also a map of the Northern Spine stocked with the other supply items, and Eragon read it as he walked down the main path into the deeper parts of the location.

Currently, he was in Area 1, where a herd of Aptonoth were grazing in this flat area. The shortest route to the Jaggis' den, in Area 9, was through Areas 2 and 4, along the western path. He stowed the map away, then ran left, where a trodden dirt path wove through the trees towards Area 2. The forests of the Spine were always eerily quiet, and only at certain monster hot spots could a Hunter hear cries and roars. Pine trees were the predominant species here, vast and green. Eragon had expected to see Kelbi, which were common in the mountains, but oddly he spotted none of those small deer. Perhaps the herds had moved to another area.

He was able to follow the path uninterrupted until he exited Area 2 and came into Area 4, a more mountainous area with a clear view of the sky. Eragon quickly took out a torch the Guild had supplied, lighting it right in time as five Jaggi came running towards him. Unbeknownst to most, these dog wyverns' first fear was fire.

But a strange thing occurred yet again, and these Jaggi took no notice of him at all, going around him like he was a fixture of the environment. Eragon stumbled away from them in confusion, watching them dash eastwards for Area 8. When he tried to follow them, the rearmost Jaggi snapped at him, jumping and snarling without any sort of fear of the flame he held in his hand. Then the little wyvern left, turning to make sure Eragon wasn't following his group. Certainly something had disturbed the Jaggi to act that way, and he guessed that it may have had something to do with the absence of the Great Jaggi. So Eragon continued on his route to Area 9, but this time wielding the Wyvern Blade tightly in his hand.

Entering Area 9 from Area 4 brought him standing on a short cliff, looking over a sparse layer of canopy. A series of steep steps had been carved into the side of the cliff. Eragon descended these, coming to a lightly forested rock-land dappled with sunlight. Taking out the map again, he inspected the symbols drawn on Area 9, and found a small black Jaggi head drawn on the north side. That was where he had to go.

He was halfway to the den when a shrill cry rang through the air, and without warning, an entire pack of Jaggi came dashing towards him. Eragon yelled in surprise, tumbling to the side to avoid getting trampled by the rampaging wyverns. He held his long sword in front of him, yet none of the Jaggi seemed to take notice of him, continuing on their mad dash out of the area. The five Jaggi he had seen previously were probably the forerunners, then. He took his chance and sheathed his sword, heading for where the Jaggi seemed to be coming from. Nearly the entire pack was behind him now, with only a few stragglers still in front of him.

The Jaggis' claw prints were still left in the grass, making it easy for Eragon to trace their escape route backwards. Alarmingly, as he drew close to the Jaggis' den, dead Jaggi bodies began to litter the ground, their blood still flowing. Some were still dying, whimpering softly. More than once, he had to step over a dog wyvern corpse while following the track of claw prints, making sure he didn't brush against their talons. They may have been annoying, but Eragon couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of pity for the monsters, so brutally mauled like this. Well, not that Hunters didn't do that too, but Eragon liked to think he killed his monsters swiftly and skillfully.

He heard several loud roars, and Eragon immediately identified the monster they belonged to: the Great Jaggi, likely the one absent from yesterday's attack. And there was another, deeper roar, which he couldn't quite identify, but was fearful of all the same. Thinking on his feet, Eragon looked around for a place to hide, but Area 9 did not have any clumps of thick vegetation where he could keep himself out of sight. He had to settle for crouching behind a small boulder, praying hard that whatever dangerous thing out there wouldn't detect him.

Hesitantly, he peered around the boulder, and at last with a shrill roar, the Great Jaggi came into sight, its large frill marking it as alpha of the pack. Its fangs were like hunters' carving knives, and its talons were sharp enough to tear through ill-armoured novices who tried and failed to hunt it down. The Great Jaggi, the rookie's nightmare, was running away from its own turf.

Eragon prayed even harder.

Then he heard the deeper roar again, and his curiosity overwhelmed the fear for his own life. After all, this was his quest, wasn't it? To find out what had happened to the Great Jaggi. He removed his sword from his sheath.

The other monster came into view, hot on the Great Jaggi's tail.

 _Wait...forest green...bipedal...lots of spines...large lower jaw...TINY FORELEGS…! No, it couldn't be, they don't, why would it - oh, how the hell am I getting out of here..._

Naturally, as was befitting a Spine Guild quest, he had seen the Violent Wyvern, the infamous Deviljho.

* * *

Eragon waited several moments more, until both the Great Jaggi and the Deviljho had left the area, before hightailing out through the northeastern route, to Area 5. He planned to take the eastern route back to the Guild base camp, which was longer but at least he would be less likely to encounter the two wyverns. He had to get back to the Guild as soon as possible to report the Deviljho's appearance, because rarely did they come into the outer ranges of the Spine, and this one might stray even closer to the Spine townships.

He raced through Area 5, then jumped down several ledges to Area 6 where several Felynes were wandering about. They had jumped in surprise as he sprinted past them, brandishing their makeshift weapons at him. Next was Area 8, and here he saw the herd of Kelbi that had been missing from the western areas. Likely they had run away from the presence of the Deviljho. Just one more area, and he could run free back to Carvahall and complete his quest.

More than eager to get home, Eragon ran out in the open through Area 3, sheathing his Wyvern Blade so he could run faster. In retrospect, that was probably a mistake, for the Deviljho came bursting through the trees, a large chunk of purple flesh held between its jaws. It snorted a cloud of crimson breath towards him, gobbling up the Great Jaggi meat in two bites. Frozen with fear, he searched wildly for an escape route. He could not go to Area 2, since the Deviljho was blocking the way, nor could he return to base camp, since the monster could follow him back there and eventually to Carvahall, which was only ten furlongs away. There was only one way out: back to Area 8, and hopefully he could circle back round and run.

He tried to sneak away, but Deviljho caught sight of him, breathing its blighted Dragon Breath. Eragon barely avoided it with a well-timed evasive roll, and darted for Area 8, Deviljho chasing behind him with heavy footsteps. It made several attempts to lunge at him and snap at him with its powerful jaws, but each time Eragon was able to roll out of the way.

 _Damn, when will it stop chasing me? I can't fight this thing!_

Deviljho followed him through Area 8, killing several Kelbi that were too slow to get out of its way, and into Area 6, where Eragon nearly fell into a stream while turning to look over his shoulder and make sure Deviljho was still far behind him. It was a terrible feeling, to be the hunted instead of the Hunter. He wanted to stop and fight the Violent Wyvern, to feel it cleave before his longsword _Bloom_ , but his beginner level _Jaggi Armour_ wouldn't cut it in a fight against such a high ranked monster. He wasn't very confident in his close combat evasive skills either.

Suddenly, Eragon spotted a crevice in the side of a cliff face, and he ran to it, for it looked as if it could fit a human about his size. He sidled into it, and yes, he could barely squeeze in, right as Deviljho's jaws came snapping past the crack, unable to fit inside. It tried to claw at him with one of its feeble foreclaws, but fell short as Eragon moved deeper into the cliff.

"Great chase, 'Jho!" Eragon yelled mockingly, trying to sound brave, when in actual fact he was still scared beyond his wits. There was no way he could go back out there, so he continued inwards through the stone. A faint ray of light and a light breeze was entering from the other side. Eragon presumed there was another opening that led to some other area, not marked out on the map. He would add it on later when he got back to the Guild. Now, he had to get back to Carvahall, and he went forward with more energy. Just a bit further!

 _I'm out!_ And Eragon found himself on the edge of the opposite face of the cliff, balancing on a narrow ledge high above the forest canopy. Pebbles bounced off to the ground, and the rock ledge crumbled slightly beneath his feet. He pressed himself to the cliff face. There was no viable way down, and with Deviljho still roaring in Area 6, he was stuck.

But Eragon refused to let himself stay immobile and helpless, so with tentative steps, he lowered his feet onto a chink on the cliff face, making sure it would not give way under his weight. Then his hands explored the rock, finding another handhold for him to continue downwards.

A strong gust of wind threatened to push him off. He tightened his grip on the rock.

His foot searched for another foothold, sending several small stones falling into the forest below. He shifted his other foot over, and…

The rock gave way beneath his feet, making his heart leap and leaving him hanging by his fingers. The ledge he had been standing on was more than a foot above him, out of reach. A gale buffeted him against the cliff face.

A drop of sweat slid down the side of his head. Eragon desperately tried to find another foothold, to no avail. He was strong enough, but he didn't think he could keep his hold for any longer.

Left without choice, he made a last-ditch attempt to clamber back onto the ledge, pushing himself up with his stronger right hand to grab the edge with his left.

He missed.

He had no strength in his arms anymore. Eragon let go of the cliff, and he was plunging, tumbling through the air, hoping hard that there was a slim chance that he could survive.

* * *

[Hunter's Bestiary]

 _ **Aptonoth**_ _: Relatively docile herbivores with characteristic crest plates. They form herds and raise young communally, and have been used as pack animals for generations. Their meat is tasty and nutritious, and they're very cautious around large monsters._

 _ **Nerscylla**_ _: A Temnoceran that spins webs to defend territory and hunt prey. They bind foes that have been weakened by ailments and devour them with giant mandibles. They are fond of wearing the hides left by the Gypceros prey they consume._

 _ **Deviljho**_ _: The dreaded, nomadic Deviljho have no specific territory of their own. Their muscles swell if provoked, revealing old wounds. They need to feed constantly due to high body heat and can hunt nearby animals to extinction._

* * *

 _ **A/N: The geography of the Northern Spine is based off of MH4U's Ancestral Steppes.**_

 ** _Thanks for reading, and make sure to leave a comment below! :)_**


	3. Chapter 3: The Little Wyvern

[ _Chapter 18: Familiars_ ]

 _Introduction_

 _The Familiars system was pioneered by the Forest Guild, whose Hunters are known for their partnerships with various small, intelligent monsters of the Forest. In this system, Hunters are commonly paired with a special Felyne known as an Ace Palico, an elite breed of Palico that originates from Deepwood._

 _The Ace Palico serves as a permanent partner, and the Hunter can bring along a second sub-Palico. Palicoes provide a variety of support skills, such as fighting, healing, or mounting, which can greatly increase the success rate of quests if deployed appropriately._

 _Not all hunters choose to have Palicoes, as they may find them distracting or overly interfering in their quest. They may also find them difficult to recruit, since both Hunter and Palico must agree to the partnership, and Palicoes can sometimes be rather choosy._

 _There is also a small subset of Hunters who do not partner with Palicoes, and choose other monsters for their Familiars instead. Another well-known, albeit much more rarely partnered Familiar, is the wyvern-like monster called a Drakeling, which is of similar intelligence and size to a Palico while of a more fiery temperament._

 _Whatever monster the Hunter chooses as Familiar, they must register it with the Guild as an official Hunter Familiar, and be subject to the Guild's regulations concerning such partner monsters. Any monster that can be proven to be non-threatening to humans is eligible._

\- From the Hunter's Notes

* * *

The sun shone through the canopy, dappling the forest floor with pools of light.

When Eragon had fallen, he had crashed through the treetops and landed on a branch, before rolling off and hitting the ground, which felt softer than the rocky ground higher up in the mountains. He was fortunate, for it turned out that he hadn't fallen as far down as he thought he would have, and the trees had lessened the impact of his fall. But his left side still hurt terribly, especially his lower ribs and leg. He had heard the _crack_ they had made when he hit the ground. They had probably fractured.

Gingerly, he tried to pull himself up, yet the pain burned him worse than a fire and he flopped back down again, staring up through the leaves. There was no way he could stand, let alone walk in this condition. Eragon rummaged through his item pouch, taking out the Guild-supplied map of the Northern Spine. He had fallen off a ledge in Area 6. East of that, there was nothing drawn. Either he was in a completely unexplored location, or he needed a different map. In any case he was still stuck where he was. All he could do was wait, and hopefully after several hours, the Guild would realize he was missing and send a search party for him. _Or I might get attacked by a monster and die long before they get here._

He drank a _Potion_ to alleviate the pain slightly and hopefully speed up his recovery. Eragon watched a trail of ants march past him and into their nest beyond the bushes, carrying tiny pieces of leaf and mushroom for food. He listened to the sound of an eagle crying overhead, high above him, circling the area in search of prey. A leaf wafted downwards, nearly coming to rest on his outstretched hand, then moved off under the wind's direction. White wisps of clouds drifted across the sky, like wayfarers wandering to where their whim took them. For the long while he lay there, Eragon found peace, even as the bones in his left side continued to burn ever slightly with pain. Could a person die from broken bones? He hoped not. He wasn't sure how many he had broken, anyway.

No monsters had showed up in the small clearing he was in, which was some comfort to him. Not even the more common ones like Felynes or Kelbi had shown up. He could be in a mountain hollow, one of those pockets of vegetation in the Spine that was walled by cliffs on all sides and barred most entry. Damn, if he really was in a hollow, then it would take the Guild even longer to find him. Damn. Eragon had no choice, then. He had to get up and move, or he'd never get out of this place.

After another swig of his _Potion_ , Eragon forced himself to stand, leaning heavily on his right foot and using his longsword as a makeshift crutch. With staggering steps, he stumbled forward, grimacing at the pain that shot through his body. His _Jaggi Armour_ , which was forged to be light and agile, felt heavy and cumbersome. But he gritted his teeth, pushing himself slowly onwards. Even if it really was a hollow, it was better to die trying to find a way out instead of waiting for death to take him on the forest floor.

It took him a while to get past the ring of bushes surrounding the small clearing. Now he was in a thicker forest, with more roots and rocks along the ground that could trip him up if he wasn't careful. He slumped down next to a tree, closing his eyes to entire left side of his body was pulsing with pain. Eragon didn't like the odd lump that was protruding from his leg, but didn't dare touch it in fear of further damaging his bone. If he got back, _when_ he got back, he would really have to learn some healing techniques from the town healer.

Suddenly, Eragon heard a faint rustle from the bushes, and his eyes shot back open. He looked around, but closed his eyes again when he didn't see anything. Then he heard another rustle, this time louder, and he wouldn't take it for the wind anymore. Leaning against the tree, he stood back up, carefully surveying the trees. A cluster of shrubs to the left of him shook slightly, rustling their leaves against each other. He hobbled the few steps it took to get near them, and bent down to inspect them. He could see no animal, so why were the bushes -

Something pounced onto his face, pushing him backwards, and it took all of Eragon's might not to fall down and aggravate his broken bones. Even so, the attack jarred his injury, and he yelled in shock, leaning against another tree trying to pull the thing off of him. It felt scaly, like his armour, or the hide of a wyvern. Sharp claws were digging into his skin, causing him to bleed slightly from his face. It delivered a stinging bite to his nose as he tugged at it, and it dropped to the ground when he finally managed to pull it off. Eragon sat down, tired. He glanced at the creature righting itself in front of him.

It was a small creature, only as high as his knee. The main part of its body was white, with many glowing blue spikes growing along its wings, legs and head. A particularly large spike ended its tail. A faint blue glow emanated from in between its white scales as well. Curved black talons emerged from its feet, and two rows of small, sharp teeth filled its jaws. Its head was arrow-like, triangular, with two bright blue eyes. In morphology it was definitely some sort of wyvern, yet it was far too small to be fully-grown. This creature didn't match any description of wyvern he had heard of either. A new species, Eragon thought, or some undiscovered juvenile form of a known monster.

But what shocked him the most was when a soft voice began speaking into his head. _Who is you?_ the voice asked.

* * *

 _Who's there? Who's talking?_ Eragon asked in a panic. He would have scrambled away if not for the tree at his back.

 _Me._ The voice said simply. The wyvern in front of him folded its paws, resting its head on them. It seemed to stare right at him.

 _Y-you? You, wyvern?_

 _Yes._

 _You speak?_

 _Yes._ It made a strange guttural sound, and it opened its mouth to reveal two rows of sharp teeth. Was it...laughing?

 _How?_

 _Don't know. How do_ you _speak?_

 _Uh… this is the first time I ever spoke to anyone with my mind._

 _Don't speak with your mind?_

 _No. I speak with my mouth._

 _How?_

Eragon blinked, taken aback. Was he really conversing with a wyvern? "Like this," he said to it.

 _I can't do that._ It made a few growling sounds. _See._

 _I… do see that…_

 _Alright. Who are you?_

 _Who are_ you _?_

The wyvern licked its paw, like a cat, then returned its gaze on him. _Alright. I tell you who I is. You tell me who you is._

 _I am… you are._

 _I am, you are._

 _Alright._

 _Alright. I i- am, a wyvern._

 _What kind?_

 _Don't know._

 _Who are your parents?_

 _Da is Iormungr. Mum is Vervada._ The wyvern spoke its parent's name with long, exaggerated syllables.

 _What's your name?_

 _No name._

 _Why not?_

 _Parents didn't give me one._ The wyvern wrapped its tail around itself. _But who is you? Eh, who are you? Have you a name?_

 _I have a name. My name is Eragon._

 _Eragon. I like that name._

 _Thank you. I like it too._

They continued conversing like that, the wyvern speaking in short, simple sentences. It was obvious that it was a child. Eragon was highly intrigued by it, and despite the possible danger, he kept talking to it, finding out more about a creature that just a few moments had attacked him. It was female, erm, she was female. She seemed to like eating birds and honey and looked affronted when he had asked if she liked feeding on humans. She couldn't breathe fire yet, the little thing, for she had explained that "the fire in my belly is not big enough". But she could fly, and flitted about the trees to show off her ability. Wyverns had some vanity, he supposed. He tucked away that piece of information for later. It could turn out to be useful. A sort of friendship formed between the two as they learned more about each other, Eragon telling her about his life in Carvahall and her telling him about wyverns. It was the one of the most interesting conversations he'd ever had.

The sun was past midway across the sky now. Eragon decided he had to quicken and find a way home if he wanted to return. _Well, wyvern, it was nice chatting with you. But I have to move on now._

 _What? Why?_

 _I need to get home._

 _No, don't go!_ The wyvern pounced onto his leg, his right one, thankfully. _Stay and talk to me._

Eragon gave her an amused smile. _I cannot, wyvern. My uncle will worry about me._

 _What is an uncle?_

 _A parent's brother. My mother's brother, in my case._

 _Oh. But don't go! Please!_

 _Wyvern, don't you have parents to return to as well? Hunt some birds, or something?_

She lay her head on the ground. _I don't have parents._

 _What do you mean?_

 _They left._ Though he knew the little creature would someday grow into a savage monster, Eragon couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for her.

 _Why?_

 _I don't know. They just flew away. Never said anything. Never came back. Why did they go. Why did they go. Whyyy…._ The little wyvern fell over onto her side, and started to keen. It was a pitiful sound. Eragon reached out to stroke her side, trying his best to comfort her. Strange, to be comforting a wyvern. Yet he did it on instinct, feeling a sort of… bond with the creature. He didn't want to see it sad like that, not when, not when-

Not when he knew the sadness of orphanage too.

 _Wyvern, listen to me._

 _Whyyyy…_ she cried. _Whyyy… Da… Mum…_

 _Wyvern. My parents left me, too._

 _Wu… wh… what?_ She looked up at him with watery eyes. So wyverns could cry.

 _My mother left me with her brother, my uncle, when I was an infant, and she's never come to see me. My father, I never knew. They just abandoned me, you know. Not even a letter or memento to their son, they just disappeared, not even caring about-_ Eragon stopped himself when he realized he had been rambling. He didn't know he felt _that_ bitter about being an orphan. When he was younger he had just accepted it, or maybe he just didn't have the opportunity to release his bitterness. The wyvern still looked at him with a doleful gaze.

 _Sorry about that. But my point is,_ he said, more calmly this time. _You're not alone, wyvern._

 _I'm not alone…_

 _Yes. You're not alone._

 _But my Da… my mum…_

 _You have me._

 _You?_ She blinked, clearing the tears from her eyes. _You? Human?_

 _Well… yes._ What was he saying? Did he just offer companionship to a wyvern he had just met?

 _So you're not going to leave?_

 _Ah. I still need to leave, wyvern. There are others who… will miss me if I don't leave._

 _But what about me?_

Eragon pondered this for a bit. _Wyvern, say, do you want to come with me?_

 _Go with you?_

 _Yes. You can come with me, come to my home. I told you about it, didn't I? Carvahall is a nice place._

 _But…_

 _But what?_

 _I like it here._

 _You know I can't stay here, wyvern._

 _I know. I don't know. I like here. But I like you, too._

He sighed. It wasn't fair for him to force her out of her habitat. _I'm sorry I can't stay here. I really can't. I have duties. I have friends back there. And I'm hurt._

 _Hurt?_

 _My bones are broken._

 _Oh. That hurts._

 _It does._

 _Then how can you go back? You can't walk._ She sounded hopeful as she said it.

 _I have to. I have to._ He pulled himself up, using a low branch on the tree to support himself. Eragon leaned heavily on his long sword, hopping around to face the forest. _I'm sorry, wyvern. I'll come back. I promise._ He began to limp slowly through the trees, and the wyvern could only sit there, helpless, as he left her behind him.

* * *

"Ansel, has Eragon returned yet?"

"No, Guildmaster."

"It's been six hours. Where has that boy been?" Garrow fumed. He gone on an urgent visit to nearby Yazuac after a horde of Aptonoth from the Northern Steppes had suddenly gone on a rampage through the village. Once the villagers' safety had been secured, he had returned to the Guild, only to find his nephew missing. Garrow knew that he was sometimes prone to wandering around the Spine and that was what he supposed Eragon was doing now. Wandering instead of completing his quest - the first quest he had received, to boot!

"I don't know. I sent the Palicoes to find him when the stipulated fifty minutes were up, but they haven't returned either," Ansel said, worry evident in her voice.

"You told them to return if they couldn't find him, yes?"

"Yes, Guildmaster."

"There must really be something out in the Spine… are any of our Hunters nearby?"

"No, Guildmaster. They've all dispersed on their quests."

"Damn it. I'll have to go search for him myself."

"But Guildmaster-"

"I don't have a choice, Ansel. He could be injured or incapacitated. I don't want to leave him out there in the Spine." _Where worse things could happen to him._

Garrow went out of the Guildhall, rushing towards Carvahall's northern gate, his feet pounding the cobblestones that lines the streets. He ignored greetings from the townsfolk he passed by, which was quite rude of him, but he couldn't slow down to reply them. He had to get to Eragon as soon as possible. He couldn't let anything happen to his nephew. He couldn't fail his sister.

Not again.

The Guildmaster adjusted the lance slung around his shoulder, and ran faster than he did before.

* * *

 _A/N: Yes, the wyvern is obviously mini Saphira. Not telling you what species she is though. Hehe._

 _And don't forgot to review folks!_


	4. Chapter 4: Rescue

GUILDMASTER

 _Guildmasters are leaders of the various_ _Monster Hunter_ _Guilds_ _in Alagaesia. They are chosen from among the Hunters of their Guild through a rigorous selection process by the previous Guildmaster, assisted by other high-ranking members of the Guild. While hunting ability is certainly important, leadership is always the foremost criteria in the choosing, for any Guildmaster must be able to guide the growth of other Guild Hunters, and also lead them in the protection of their locality._

 _As head of the Guild, Guildmasters are responsible for the wellbeing of all Monster Hunters that come under his or her care. They must ensure that Hunters are well supplied, and that their lives are not unnecessarily risked. They must to see to the environment of their_ _Guildhalls_ _to make it a conducive one for Hunters to gather. They must make sure that Hunters are able to improve on their skills and learn new ones. They must also hold the behaviour of their Hunters accountable, and actively enforce Guild laws._

 _Guildmasters are assisted by their_ _Questators_ _and_ _Questatrixes_ _, who keep track of quests, Guild staff and the Guild_ _Palicoes_ _. An unfortunate drawback of taking up this highly sought after mantle is that Guildmasters are rarely able to go out on quests, due to their heavy responsibilities in the Guild. For this reason, larger Guilds often appoint a deputy Guildmaster who looks after the Guild while the Guildmaster leads expeditions or high-rank quests._

 _As of this edition, the current Guildmasters are:_ _Orrin Langfeld_ _of the_ _Surdan Guild_ _,_ _Hrothgar Ingeitumborith_ _of the_ _Tronjheim Guild_ _, and_ _Barst Berengarsson_ _of the_ _Illirean Guild_ _. The_ _Forest Guild_ _does not name their Guildmaster, and is instead represented by a council of 14 so-called_ _Master Hunters_ _, who are named in their entirety on the corresponding page._

\- From _The Encyclopedia of Modern Hunting_

* * *

There it was, huge and unmistakable.

A Deviljho, its sleeping form right in the centre of Area 6 of the Northern Spine field.

Garrow had hidden himself in the bushes, the visor down on his Rathalos scale armour. His _Blue Crater_ lance was strapped to his back, and his shield to his left arm. The sound of his own breathing filled his hears, echoing within his helmet. The area was unnaturally quiet for the Spine, usually roaring with the sounds of nature. It seemed that this Deviljho had scared away them all. It had certainly made a mess of the surrounding forest, with the nearest trees toppled and uprooted.

He had tracked his nephew all the way here, following certain trails to a crevice in the cliff face. To think there was a Deviljho guarding the entrance as well. There was no way he could sneak past the thing without alerting it - they had an excellent sense of smell and he was sure he was already stinking of sweat. Garrow darted his eyes around the vicinity, then sidled to a better position that was more upwind of the monster. Deviljho were weakest at their heads or chests, but he would go for its tail, which was usually the least protected and easiest to attack.

 _Alright, Garrow. This isn't your first time fighting a brute like this. Avoid the snapping jaws and the dragonbreath. Just roll underneath it if need be. Let's go._

The Guildmaster drew in his breath, and charged.

* * *

"Ngh!" Eragon grunted, throwing himself to the side as the Arzuros made another swipe for his head. His longsword clattered to one side, and pain shot up his bad leg, making him wince. The bear monster had sliced into at least four inches of bark where his head had been. Gingerly, Eragon felt the right side of his head. The hair felt short and prickly. It was - literally - a close shave.

The Arzuros charged towards him, faster than a monster of its weight should be. Eragon stretched out for his sword, rolling away as another fist slammed into the ground. "For the Guild!" He rose up slightly and slashed the bear in its flank. While the bear roared and licked at its wound, Eragon struggled to push himself up from the ground, and he hobbled away, distancing himself from the Arzuros. Sweat rolled down his face, and he was exhausted from hopping around on his one uninjured leg. His lungs burnt. _Stand and fight!_ A voice commanded at the back of his mind. _Not like this. Not like this._

While he had was wandering through the mountain hollow, trying to find his way out, Eragon had somehow stumbled across an Arzuros' den. The bears with blue fur were usually docile, unless you were stupid enough to trespass on their territory. And the markings on the trees, which he belatedly noticed, told Eragon that his idiocy had manifested itself once again. So he now had an angry Arzuros trying to chasing after him when his leg gave him zero chance of running. Great!

A sharp crackling of leaves made him turn around, and- _Blast it!_ The bear was chasing after him again, orange claws glinting. He stumbled, and the Arzuros nearly slammed down onto him, raking its claw down his side. Eragon yelled and rolled to the ground, clutching at his wound. A whole patch of armour and tunic had been torn off. When he drew his hand back, it was stained completely red. _Stand and fight._ "Turn to ashes, for all I care," he muttered. Since the Arzuros was so insistent on killing him… Eragon pulled himself back up again, ignoring the protests from all parts of his body, and held himself in a proper fighting stance, his hands shaking as he wielded his sword.

"Come on," he whispered. "Charge."

The Arzuros jumped. Eragon spun to avoid its attack, and slashed its other flank, driving his sword as deep in as he could. He thought his sword glowed as it bit into the monster. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere. His longsword gained a steely gleam. The bear was drooling, quavering where it stood, blood now matting the fur on both its flanks. Eragon steadied himself for another attack, and his gleaming sword cut deeper as his blade sliced through the tough, carapace-like hide on its back. The bear collapsed onto its forelegs, quavering where it stood, then lumbered off into forest, limp obvious in its gait.

"That… that wasn't so bad..." Eragon sank to his knees, and the rest of him collapsed soon after.

* * *

 _Hey! Wake up!_

 _I can't._

 _Wake up!_

 _I can't._

 _Why not?_

 _I don't have the energy._

 _Yes you do._

 _But I can't._

 _WAKE UP!_

Eragon felt a hard push to his face. He felt weightless. His broken leg was gone, the wound in his side was gone… no, when he became aware of them, the ache grew. He was lying on something soft. He still had his sword gripped in his right hand. His vision was blurred, and all he could see was green and a patch of blue. Eragon blinked to clear the fog from his eyes. His sight came into focus. A familiar-looking lizard crouched in front of his face, bright blue eyes staring into his. Its scales were white, but a blue glow emanated from between their ridges. Leaning forward, the lizard pushed at his face again.

 _Wake up._

"Wyvern," he breathed. He couldn't mistake her for any other.

 _Yes. It's me. Now please wake up._

 _I am._

 _Then get up._

His body was shaking. The wyvern had to help him lean himself against a tree, so that at least he wouldn't be lying on the ground like a ragdoll. "Why are you here?" Eragon asked. "Did you follow me?"

 _I did not follow you_ , she sniffed. _I was hunting. I smelt blood, and thought it was prey. So I found you._

 _You won't eat me, right?_

 _No. You put up too much fight._

 _Well. Thank you for your help, wyvern. But I need to go as soon as I feel better._

 _No._

 _No?_

 _No._

The wyvern stared at him for a few more moments, then ran off into the trees. It came back soon with a sort of plant clamped between its jaws, depositing it into his hand. _Eat this._

 _What is it?_

 _Herb. Makes you feel better._

Eragon tore off a stalk and chewed the end of it. A sharp, bitter tang filled his mouth, and he nearly spit the herb out. _No. Eat,_ said the wyvern. He pressed his hand against his mouth.

 _I ate it._

 _Eat another one._

 _Really? Another one?_

 _Yes._

He eyed the ten or so green stalks he had woefully, and he glanced back up at the wyvern. It was waiting. Grimacing, he shoved all the herbs into his mouth, and chewed slowly, his face contorting as the bitterness increased tenfold. It took Eragon several minutes to finish the course, and then he had to drink the last swig of _Potion_ he had, just to get rid of the taste. The wyvern hopped up and down as he wiped his mouth with the edge of his tunic.

 _How do you feel?_

 _Surprisingly, better._

 _I told you so._ It sounded gleeful.

The pain in his leg and side had ebbed away, but it was still there, and would probably return soon if he didn't get back to the Guild for treatment. And there was always the chance of infection, especially out in the wild like this. Eragon tore off a thick strip from his tunic and tied it around his side wound. A good thing he had worn an oversized one that day, or his armour would chafe his skin and he'd return both itchy and injured.

 _And I'm off_. Not for the first time that day, Eragon pulled himself up from the ground, leaning on his longsword for support.

 _Hey! Wait!_

 _Is there something else, wyvern?_

 _I'm coming along with you._ She flitted in front of him, her underdeveloped wings only allowing her a short time in the air before she had to land on the ground.

 _For what purpose?_ Eragon asked, already moving off into the trees.

 _Hey- HEY!_ The wyvern chased after him, falling in pace beside him _You're lost. You need a guide._

 _You know a way out of here?_

 _No. But I know this place better than you do. Follow me._

"Follow-" Eragon shook his head. This wyvern was strange indeed.

The wyvern wasn't hard to spot amongst the trees, its white scales a veritable beacon amongst the darker greens of the forest. It led him in a general northwest direction, the land gradually sloping upwards as it followed the contour of the mountain. The trees grew progressively bigger and brighter as they headed upwards, and this area of the mountain hollow even had a few fruit trees around. The wyvern flew up to pluck two red ones to eat. He didn't know its name, but it tasted good nonetheless.

An hour of walking brought them to a short cliff face, where there was a small cave in the rock. His head brushed the roof of the cave when he walked in, and he sat there with the wyvern to rest his leg. _Any ideas on how to get out, wyvern?_

It folded its legs and rested its head on top of them. _I'm trying to get you back to the place where I found you._

 _Oh._ Looks like he'd have to backtrack all the way from where he started, blast it. He vaguely remembered what it looked like: a ring of bushes surrounding a clearing, and a tall drop from the crevice he had fallen from in Area 6. _But how do I get out of this mountain hollow from there, wyvern? It's a sheer cliff face. I can't climb._

 _Ehhhh. I'll have an idea._

* * *

Garrow rolled underneath the Deviljho as it spewed out a deadly cloud of dragonbreath, red and with streaks of black. He had to avoid as many of its attacks as possible - his Rathalos armour wasn't very good against the monster's dragon attribute. Adjusting the grip on his lance, he pierced into the wyvern's thick hide, then hopped back and ran off, the Deviljho screaming its suffering. It was already limping, weak from the attacks he had dealt it, though the Guildmaster couldn't say he was unscathed either. He had at least evaded every dragonbreath unleashed against him.

Deviljho was in its rage mode now, its back and flank glowing a bright red. He'd have to be more careful now, and as the wyvern lunged towards him, he sidestepped and made three upwards thrusts, attacking the brute squarely in its side. That was a basic rule of the lance, to always attack thrice before throwing up your shield or backing off. A final charge, right in the face, and Garrow had the thing dead within minutes with his lance driven through its head.

The Guildmaster dropped to the ground a distance away from the Deviljho corpse, panting heavily and tending to his injuries. _I'm getting old_ , he thought. Were he ten years younger he would have hunted the wyvern down without breaking a sweat. Deviljho attacks weren't very hard to predict, but they packed mighty force behind them, and his age was slowing down his reaction to some of its faster bites. _Bah. I'll worry about it when I'm halfway into the grave._

Now, the crevice. His nephew had left a few recognizable tracks, and he followed them to the crack in the cliff wall. Certainly Eragon had been here recently. The crack looked just high and wide enough to allow a boy his size to pass through. For the Guildmaster, however, it would probably be a tighter squeeze. Garrow held his lance out to his side, drew in his breath, and shuffled sideways into the crevice, the top of his head brushing the roof. When he got out to the other side, he nearly cursed out loud - the ledge was barely wide enough for one man to stand on. Bless his luck that the wind wasn't blowing too hard.

He risked a look over the edge, and it was a sheer drop down into the forest below. If his vision still served him right, it looked as if he was at the border of a mountain hollow. _Don't tell me the boy's fallen down there._ But that seemed the only likely place Eragon could have gone, reckless as he was. Hopefully he had been wise enough to stay where he had fallen, at least. Mountain hollows were sanctuaries for any monster that could get in, hiding places for the rarest species.

Garrow surveyed the landscape again, making sure to keep everything in memory, before shuffling back through the crevice into Area 6. He would need a length of rope, and fortunately he had one stored at the base camp at all times. Eragon wouldn't be the first Hunter to fall off a cliff, and he likely won't be the last. _I'll be back soon, Eragon._

* * *

"I think we are nearly there, wyvern. This place looks familiar," Eragon commented. He had asked her if she could find any more of those painkiller herbs, but it seemed that they only grew in that particular patch of the forest where the Arzuros lived. _He feeds on it often,_ the wyvern had informed him. _For fun._

 _That's… interesting_.

The cave where they had stopped to rest was far behind them, and they were walking along a gurgling stream. The little wyvern had tried teaching him all about the forest in the mountain hollow, and surprisingly the plants and animals here were very different from the ones he knew in the Spine. And Eragon had spent his childhood playing in those mountains. These hollows should warrant more investigation in future. Places like this probably hid all sorts of secrets - and new monsters to hunt.

 _And… we're… here!_

Eragon stepped through the trees, and found himself surrounded by the same bushes that ringed the clearing he had fallen in. The cliff he had fallen from rose up high above him. He squinted to protect his eyes from the afternoon sun. _Did I really fall from that height?_ He wondered. Indeed it was a wonder that he was still alive, and with just broken bones. They could have punctured his organs and killed him on the spot if he were more unlucky.

He slumped down, leaning against a tree. _So what's this idea you have?_

 _Well, it's… what's that?_

 _What?_

 _There's someone up there._

 _Where?_

The wyvern gestured with its snout. _Up there._

Eragon followed its line of sight up to the cliff face, and to his shock, someone was scaling down the rock, a long rope dangling by his side. He blinked again. A blue lance like an icicle was strapped to the person's back, while red armour covered the rest of the man's body. He had seen that equipment set before. He definitely had. "Uncle... ? Uncle Garrow!"

Though he couldn't quite see, the man seemed to have turned, and if possible had begun scaling down the cliff even faster.

 _Who is that?_

 _That's my uncle. The Guildmaster._

 _Guildmaster?_

 _He is in charge of a guild. That's a group of Hunters._

 _Hunters?_

Eragon was suddenly aware that the wyvern he was talking to was supposed to be a target for Monster Hunters. He had an awkward moment, then, and the wyvern only stared curiously up at him as he racked his brains for an explanation that wouldn't anger her.

 _We hunt monsters. Like that Arzuros._

 _Oh. What kinds?_

 _Kinds that threaten our villages and our towns. We hunt them to protect our people._ Well, it wasn't the entire truth, but it wasn't a lie either.

 _Oh. Okay._

He waited patiently for his uncle to descend the cliff, though the pain in his leg and side wound were slowly intensifying. He closed his eyes to rest while the wyvern ran in and out of the bushes, chasing after some small rodent. Eragon turned to look back up at the cliff - his uncle had disappeared from sight. The rope still swayed in the wind. Uncle Garrow had to be coming over soon, and then he could go back to the Guild after hours spent out in the wild with a broken limb.

Something rustled in the bushes, but it was just the wyvern, gripping the rodent proudly in her jaws. She reminded him of a cat in her demeanour.

"Eragon!"

"Uncle?" And there Garrow was, his visor up to reveal just his eyes, which were filled with relief and fatigue.

He was saved: the Guildmaster had come for him.

* * *

[Hunter's Bestiary]

 _ **Arzuros:**_ _Forest- and mountain-dwelling beasts found in humid regions. Though known more for fishing and standing upright to collect honey, their thick claws and heavy forearm plating allow them to deliver powerful blows to any aggressor._

* * *

 _A/N: Well… this was an overdue update… blame school and general life._

 _To praylearnwrite: Arya will come up, but at some later time._

 _Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, will keep improving on the fighting scenes as they are quite sucky. So, as always, make sure to leave a review :) Thanks!_


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